Box



Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,158

H. S. LION BOX Filed June 9, 1926 8 6 fgVENTOR.

Z K ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD s. LION, orcnvorn m'ri, oirro,

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE"ASSIGNMENTS, TO

UNITED MILK CRATE COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

BOX.

Application 7 filed June 9,

My invention relates to boxes and crates for the shipping oi goods, which 'boxesare intended to be returned to the shipper when empty, and ithas particularly to do with such crates designed for the transportation of milk and other bottles.

Such boxes are necessarily subjected to exceedingly hard usage, and it essential that they shall be strong and durable, and also capable of repairs when damaged.

The invention belongs to that class of such crates as are formed of strips or slats of wood for the sides and ends, open at the top, and divided into compartments by metallic cross wires, and usually with a bottom of wire rods, although for certain articles, as groceries,aclosed bottom is used.

It is the object of my invention to provide such a crate with mortised and tenoned sides and ends, and securely bound at the corners both inside and out, with angle plates or corner irons, and the invention has especially to do with that certain novel construction for interlocking the corner irons and for fitting the wooden slats thereto, so that in case ot breakage, any damaged slat may be readily replaced.

As the invention has especially to do with the corner construction, I have not thought it necessary to illustrate the entire crate, the construction for one corner being the same for the other three corners.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an outside corner iron.

Figure 2. is a similar view of the corresponding inner corner.

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the fit of the slats at the corners.

Figure lis arperspective view of a detail oil a corner with both corner plates in place.

Figure 5 is a section of the corner as shown in Figure 4, taken through the corner plates, as indicated by the lines 5-5.

Figure 6 is a perspective of one of the bottom caps.

Figure 7 is a cross section. of the outside corner plate,'talren on line 7-7 of Figure 1.

The body of the crate is constructed of strips or slats oi wood 1 and 9. of the desired length and dimensions for the sides and ends of the box. The ends of each of these strips are oppositely notched or mortised so as to leave tenons 3, 3, and l, 4, so that the 1926. Serial No. 114,821.

ter when the sides and endsare tittedtoi gether.

The corner plates 12 for the outside are bent to term a right angled structure, and ears 8, 8, are cut and bent over inwardly at right angles to the respective plate walls. These ears project at the proper distances apart, to receive the respective tiers of slats, and each corner plate 12 is provided with a re-entering flange 10, 10, to engage within the respective grooves 6 and? of the slats.

In assembling the construction, the re spective slats l and 2 are fitted together to form tiers, and the outside corner plates 12 are then fitted in place, with the ears inserted between the respective tiers. The corner plates, which are constructed pret erably 0t galvanized sheel metal, can be sprung so that the flanges 10, 10, will e11- in the grooves.

Inside locking plates are provided, bent centrally at right angles with slots 14 cutto receive the projecting ends of the ears 8, 8 and the ends of the ears are then-clinched ove as shown at 15, thus securely locking the inside and outside plates together and providing an exceedingly strong and rigid structure for the corners of the box.

Caps are provided for the bottom corners'as shown in Figure 6, to lit the bottom corners with outside walls 16, a base '17, and upwardly projecting portions 18. These caps are seated in the recessed ends of the corners so as to come flush with the bottom edges of the box, as is usual, so that the boxes can slide on the surface upon which they rest, and similar caps are provided for the upper corners, except that the upper caps have upward projections at the outside edges to permit the boxes to be stacked one above the other. This construction is common for such boxes, and I have therefore not illustrated it. The caps are then riveted in place, and the necessary bottom and com partinent partitions secured in place, and the box is complete.

Inthe event that any of the slats are damaged or broken, it is comparatively simple and easy to replace a broken slat. The caps are removed, and the inner locking plates re moved upon releasing the ears, the outside Til corner plates can then be'relnoved and the broken part renewed and the box reassembled at much less time and expense than the replacement with a new box.

Having thus described my lnvention What I I claim as new and useful and desire to secure 15 each corner provided With slots to receive said ears of the outside plate for clinching, to secure the corner plates 1n position.

2. A box having side and end Walls composed of a frame of Wooden strips arranged 111 tiers wlth the ends of the'stri as niortised and v 7 u I tenoned to interlock with a inetallle angle plate for the outside of each corner of the box having ears punched therefrom extending inwardly, horizontally flatwise, and at right angles to the plate and a locking plate for the inside of each corner provided with slots to receive said ears of the outside plate for clinchlng, to secure the corner pla-tes'ln position. I

' HAROLD S. LION. 

